Methods Of Manufacturing Custom Rubber Parts
Rubber components are used in everything from industrial machines to cars. As a result, more companies than ever are investing in rubber parts made in a variety of ways. When you're in need of rubber components for various purposes, it's important that you understand the way that they are manufactured. After all, each manufacturing method is ideal for rubber components of specific types and applications. Understanding the options will help ensure that you get what you're looking for. Here are some of the manufacturing methods that you should know.
Extrusion Manufacturing
Extrusion manufacturing is a method that involves raw rubber material being fed into a machine that forces the rubber through an extruder and dye to form rubber components in identical shapes repeatedly. Once extruded, those parts must be vulcanized to ensure that they are structurally sound enough for use.
It's important that you remember that the rubber parts that come from extrusion may change their shape after vulcanization as a result of the heat. It can affect all of the dimensions of the part. This is to be expected, so extrusion manufacturing should only be used for parts that can still be used if they are slightly altered. It is also an ideal solution for producing many identical rubber components in a short period of time.
Mold Manufacturing
Another popular method of rubber parts manufacturing is mold production. During this type of manufacturing, the raw rubber material is placed inside of a mold, then the mold is heated to soften the rubber so that it takes the shape of the mold. The heat process can be as little as a few minutes or as long as hours depending on the product being created, the thickness of the mold, and several other factors.
This is an ideal method of rubber manufacturing when you're trying to create detailed, precise components. When the durability and the detail of the rubber parts is the important part, mold manufacturing might be the best option. Just remember that this precision comes with a slow-down in the manufacturing process, so this isn't the ideal solution when you need to create components in large volume quickly.
This is an ideal option for components such as gaskets, seals, o-rings, and similar parts because of the way that those parts must be shaped.
These are two of the most popular methods of creating rubber parts. Consider what you need to help you choose the right manufacturing approach. Contact a local rubber parts manufacturing company to learn more.
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